Gardiner Museum to Reopen with Transformed Ground Floor
The Gardiner Museum has announced the reopening of its fully transformed ground floor on November 6, 2025, marking its most ambitious capital project in two decades.
Founded in 1984 by George and Helen Gardiner, the museum has become one of the world’s leading institutions dedicated to ceramics, housing a collection of more than 5,000 objects. It is situated on the ancestral and traditional territories of various nations, including the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, and is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
The renovation aims to reimagine the Gardiner’s role as an accessible community-driven hub. Breaking ground in 2024 during the museum’s 40th anniversary year, the project ushers in a new era of artistic innovation and community engagement for an institution devoted to ceramics.
The reimagining of the Gardiner’s 9,000-square-foot ground floor is guided by the principles of connectivity, access, and Indigeneity. Designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects and Andrew Jones Design, in collaboration with architect Chris Cornelius of studio:indigenous, it features new collection galleries, a fully equipped makerspace, a community learning centre, and the Gardiner’s first-ever gallery of Indigenous ceramics.
“With this transformation, we’ve created vibrant spaces where people can find wonder and inspiration, tap into their creativity, and engage in important conversations,” said Gabrielle Peacock, executive director and CEO of the Gardiner Museum. “We’re thrilled to welcome the public into this exciting new chapter of the Gardiner’s story.”
The $15.5 million transformation is made possible through the generosity of many public and private partners, led by a $9 million gift from The Radlett Foundation, established by the late William B.G. Humphries. The donation is the largest in the Museum’s history by an individual other than its founders and includes more than 250 objects from Humphries’s personal collection.
This landmark project is also supported by Leadership Gifts from the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation and the Lindy Green Family Foundation, an Inspirational Gift from the Appleyard Rebanks Family, and a Principal Gift from Diana Reitberger. The Government of Canada provided vital public funding through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.
As part of its renewed vision, the Gardiner Museum appointed Franchesca Hebert-Spence as its first curator of Indigenous Ceramics. An Anishinaabe curator and member of Sagkeeng First Nation, Hebert-Spence brings experience from institutions including the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Alberta. She has led the development of the Gardiner’s new Indigenous gallery in collaboration with Cornelius and in consultation with Indigenous makers and communities.
The Gardiner Museum Indigenous Advisory Circle, consisting of Mary Anne Barkhouse, Bonnie Devine, Kent Monkman, Andre Morriseau, Duke Redbird, Frank Shebageget, and Tekaronhiáhkhwa / Santee Smith also provided guidance on the project.
The reopening also marks the debut of a new commission by Nadia Myre, a contemporary visual artist from Montreal and an Algonquin member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg First Nation.
The public is invited to experience the new Gardiner beginning on November 6, 2025. On November 8 and 9, the museum will host a free weekend celebration with curator tours, hands-on clay workshops, and live performances.
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